Genelia D’Souza is poised to make her return to the silver screen in the forthcoming film Sitaare Zameen Par, where she will portray Aamir Khan’s wife. In a recent interview, she shared insights into the overwhelmingly positive industry response to her casting news.
However, she also took the opportunity to criticize Bollywood for the lack of opportunities offered to her after her marriage. D’Souza further disclosed that she underwent three auditions for Aamir Khan’s film, expressing a fervent hope for more appropriate casting decisions in the future.
Reflecting on the industry’s reaction to her latest project, Genelia D’Souza revealed to Filmymantra Media, “When people got to know I’m doing Sitaare Zameen Par, everybody said, ‘Oh my god! So lucky! You’re doing an Aamir Khan film!’ I said, of course, that’s Aamir sir’s bigness that he saw something in me. Of course, he made me audition. But you could also do that, right? You could also offer me a role.” Her statement highlights a perceived double standard, where a major star’s recognition of her talent is celebrated, while other industry players seemingly overlook her.
She continued, elaborating on the prevailing industry norms: “But you go as per the norms. Maybe you think I’m married, so I don’t need this character. I just feel filmmaking has changed, and so should our mentality. It’s very important that if you want a character of a certain age, you should cast someone of that age. When we cast an actor who’s much younger than the character I played, they can’t understand the little-little things of it. It’s important to cast right. And I hope opportunities go everyone’s way.” Genelia’s comments underscore a plea for a more evolved and merit-based casting approach in Bollywood, particularly advocating for age-appropriate roles and equitable opportunities for all actors, regardless of their marital status.
Well said, Genelia!
